India CSR Exclusive Interview with Sobha Limited’s Chairman Ravi PNC Menon
Rusen Kumar from Palakkad
PALAKKAD, Kerala (India CSR): PNC Menon, founder of Sobha Group, a leading Indian real estate developer with a presence in the UAE, has pledged to invest a significant sum of Rs. 4000 crores towards various Philanthropic and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives in India and Dubai over the next 4-5 years, which was told by Ravi PNC Menon, Chairman, Sobha Limited in an exclusive interview with India CSR.
Ravi PNC Menon, also the son of PNC Menon outlined the company’s ambitious CSR plans. “We have already committed Rs. 2000 crore towards CSR projects in India, and an additional Rs. 2000 crore for our initiatives abroad, particularly in Dubai,” Menon stated.
Focus on Women Empowerment, Housing, and Education
A civil engineer by profession Ravi PNC Menon, born in Palakkad, and raised in Muscat, Oman emphasized Sobha’s commitment to social impact through CSR interventions highly focused on women empowerment, providing homes for the underprivileged, and promoting education.
“One of our key CSR goals is to empower rural communities by building 1000 houses,” Ravi Menon said.
“This is a significant project that will provide much-needed shelter for those in need. We believe that a home is a basic human necessity, and we are committed to making a difference in this area.”, he explained.
Sobha’s CSR strategy also prioritizes education. “Education is another crucial aspect of our social responsibility efforts,” Menon mentioned. “We have currently adopted three Panchayats (village councils) to concentrate our efforts on specific areas of improvement.”
The Kurumba Educational and Charitable Trust, which manages the company’s CSR projects, recently launched Griha Sobha 2024, a project to provide free homes to underprivileged families led by women in Palakkad. On March 9, 2024, at Palakkad, Ravi Menon, Chairman and Sobha Menon, Trustee handed over keys to the first 100 homes and laid the foundation for another 120, aiming for a total of 1000, during a public function. Notably, 13 landless families received land to build their new homes on. (Read the story)
Establishing a Women’s University in Noida
Sobha’s CSR initiatives extend beyond India. The company is dedicated to promoting women’s education by establishing a university specifically for women in Noida.
Ravi Menon who also shares his father’s passion for community development said, “We are establishing a University in Noida focused on women’s education,”
“This university will provide free education to deserving young women. We recently secured land for the project, and construction is underway. The university is expected to be operational within the next four years.”, he added.
Sobha Limited, founded in 1995 by Kerala-born entrepreneur PNC Menon, is a Bengaluru-based publicly listed company. The company’s commitment to CSR reflects its core values of social responsibility and creating a positive impact on the communities it serves.
(Copyright@IndiaCSR)
